Control system and method for controlling two banks of adjustable vanes on a cylindrical rotor cage of an agricultural harvester

ABSTRACT

A threshing system including a rotor cage with a plurality of slots therein, a first bank of vanes and a second bank of vanes arranged within the cage. An adjustable vane control system is coupled to the rotor cage and the banks of vanes. a first and second member are respectively pivotally coupled the vanes in the first bank and the vanes of the second bank through corresponding slots. Linkages couple an arm to the members. The first and second members each having a range of travel defined by the slots. The members each having a surface facing the outer surface of the rotor cage, the surfaces of the first member and the second member each remain tangent to the outer surface of the rotor cage as the first member and the second member are moved within their range of travel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters such ascombines, and, more particularly, to adjustable vane control systemsused with a threshing rotor in a crop processing section of the combine.

2. Description of the Related Art

An agricultural harvester known as a “combine” is historically termedsuch because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a singleharvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating and cleaning. Acombine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and afeeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor.The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be inthe form of adjustable concaves, and performs a threshing operation onthe crop to remove the grain. The threshing rotor is provided with raspbars that interact with the crop matter in order to further separate thegrain from the crop matter, and to provide positive crop movement.

Once the grain is threshed it falls through perforations in the concavesand is transported to a grain pan. From the grain pan the grain iscleaned using a cleaning system, and is then transported to a grain tankonboard the combine. The cleaning system includes a cleaning fan whichblows air through oscillating sieves to discharge chaff and other debristoward the rear of the combine. Non-grain crop material such as strawfrom the threshing section proceeds through a straw chopper and out therear of the combine. When the grain tank becomes full, the combine ispositioned adjacent a vehicle into which the grain is to be unloaded,such as a semi-trailer, gravity box, straight truck, or the like; and anunloading system on the combine is actuated to transfer the grain intothe vehicle.

More particularly, a rotary threshing or separating system includes oneor more threshing rotors which can extend axially (front to rear) ortransversely within the body of the combine, and which are partially orfully surrounded by a perforated concave. Again, the one or morethreshing rotors are provided with rasp bars that interact with the cropmatter to separate grain and to provide positive crop movement. The cropmaterial is threshed and separated by the rotation of the rotor withinthe concave. Coarser non-grain crop material such as stalks and leavesare transported to the rear of the combine and discharged back to thefield. The separated grain, together with some finer non-grain cropmaterial such as chaff, dust, straw, and other crop residue aredischarged through the concaves and fall onto the grain pan where theyare transported to the cleaning system. Alternatively, the grain andfiner non-grain crop material may also fall directly onto the cleaningsystem itself

The cleaning system further separates the grain from non-grain cropmaterial, and typically includes a fan directing an air flow streamupwardly and rearwardly through vertically arranged sieves whichoscillate in a fore and aft manner. The airflow stream lifts and carriesthe lighter non-grain crop material towards the rear end of the combinefor discharge to the field. Clean grain, being heavier, and largerpieces of non-grain crop material, which are not carried away by the airflow stream, fall onto a surface of an upper sieve (also known as achaffer sieve or sieve assembly) where some or all of the clean grainpasses through to a lower sieve (also known as a cleaning sieve). Grainand non-grain crop material remaining on the upper and lower sieves arephysically separated by the reciprocating action of the sieves as thematerial moves rearwardly. Any grain and/or non-grain crop materialremaining on the top surface of the upper sieve or sieve assembly aredischarged at the rear of the combine. Grain falling through the lowersieve lands on a bottom pan of the cleaning system, where it is conveyedforwardly toward a clean grain auger. The clean grain auger ispositioned below the lower sieve, and receives clean grain from eachsieve and from the bottom pan of the cleaning system. The clean grainauger then augers the clean grain laterally sideways to a clean grainelevator, which in turn conveys the clean grain to a grain tank onboardthe combine.

Variable pitch vanes within the rotor cage can bind as the vanes aremoved causing them to be less effective than is desired. The binding isgenerally caused by trapped crop material that wedges beneath the vanes.

Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a way to control the pitch ofthe vanes in a manner that has a non-binding or reduced bindingcharacteristic and is cost effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a pivoting vane adjustment system in thethreshing system of an agricultural harvester.

In one form, the invention is directed to a threshing system including arotor cage with a plurality of slots therein, a first bank of vanes anda second bank of vanes arranged within the cage. An adjustable vanecontrol system is coupled to the rotor cage and the banks of vanes. afirst and second member are respectively pivotally coupled the vanes inthe first bank and the vanes of the second bank through correspondingslots. Linkages couple an arm to the members. The first and secondmembers each having a range of travel defined by the slots. The memberseach having a surface facing the outer surface of the rotor cage, thesurfaces of the first member and the second member each remain tangentto the outer surface of the rotor cage as the first member and thesecond member are moved within their range of travel.

In another form, the invention is directed to an agricultural harvesterincluding a chassis and a threshing system carried by the chassis, thethreshing system for separating grain from Material Other than Grain(MOG). The threshing system has a rotor cage with a plurality of slotstherein, the rotor cage having an outer generally cylindrical surface; aplurality of banks of adjustable vanes pivotally coupled to the rotorcage including a first bank of vanes and a second bank of vanes; and anadjustable vane control system coupled to the rotor cage. The adjustablevane control system includes a first member pivotally coupled to each ofthe vanes in the first bank of vanes through corresponding slots; asecond member pivotally coupled to each of the vanes in the second bankof vanes through corresponding slots; a first linkage; a second linkage;and an arm. The arm has an end that is coupled to the first member byway of the first linkage. The arm also has an opposite end that iscoupled to the second member by way of the second linkage. The firstmember and the second member each have a range of travel defined by theslots. The first member and the second member each have a surface facingthe outer surface of the rotor cage. The surface of the first member andthe surface of the second member each remaining tangent to the outersurface of the rotor cage as the first member and the second member aremoved within their range of travel.

An advantage of the present invention is that the vanes are efficientlymoved by a balanced adjustment system, and the vanes are spaced andprovide for some movement in an axial direction relative to the rotorcage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention,and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and theinvention will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an agricultural harvester in the form of acombine;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the curved side of a rotor cage of a threshingsystem having an embodiment of a vane adjustment system of the presentinvention used in the combine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rotor cage of FIG. 2 with the adjustmentsystem removed;

FIG. 4 is a sectioned end vies of the rotor cage of FIGS. 2 and 3 withthe vane adjustment system seen in profile;

FIG. 5 is a view of part of the vane adjustment system of FIGS. 2 and 4with some elements removed to illustrate some geometric relationships ofelements of the vane adjustment system; and

FIG. 6 is a view of an embodiment of one of the vanes of the presentinvention coupled to the vane adjustment system.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. The exemplification set out hereinillustrates an embodiment of the invention, in one form, and suchexemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of theinvention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The terms “grain”, “straw” and “tailings” are used principallythroughout this specification for convenience but it is to be understoodthat these terms are not intended to be limiting. Thus “grain” refers tothat part of the crop material which is threshed and separated from thediscardable part of the crop material, which is referred to as non-graincrop material, MOG or straw. Incompletely threshed crop material isreferred to as “tailings”. Also the terms “forward”, “rearward”, “left”and “right”, when used in connection with the agricultural harvesterand/or components thereof are usually determined with reference to thedirection of forward operative travel of the harvester, but again, theyshould not be construed as limiting. The terms “longitudinal” and“transverse” are determined with reference to the fore-and-aft directionof the agricultural harvester and are equally not to be construed aslimiting.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there isshown an agricultural harvester in the form of a combine 10, whichgenerally includes a chassis 12, ground engaging wheels 14 and 16,header 18, feeder housing 20, operator cab 22, threshing and separatingsystem 24, cleaning system 26, grain tank 28, and unloading conveyance30. Front wheels 14 are larger flotation type wheels, and rear wheels 16are smaller steerable wheels. Motive force is selectively applied tofront wheels 14 through a power plant in the form of a diesel engine 32and a transmission (not shown). Although combine 10 is shown asincluding wheels, is also to be understood that combine 10 may includetracks, such as full tracks or half tracks.

Header 18 is mounted to the front of combine 10 and includes a cutterbar 34 for severing crops from a field during forward motion of combine10. A rotatable reel 36 feeds the crop into header 18, and a doubleauger 38 feeds the severed crop laterally inwardly from each side towardfeeder housing 20. Feeder housing 20 conveys the cut crop to threshingand separating system 24, and is selectively vertically movable usingappropriate actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders (not shown).

Threshing and separating system 24 is of the axial-flow type, andgenerally includes a threshing rotor 40 at least partially enclosed by arotor cage and rotatable within a corresponding perforated concave 42.The cut crops are threshed and separated by the rotation of rotor 40within concave 42, and larger elements, such as stalks, leaves and thelike are discharged from the rear of combine 10. Smaller elements ofcrop material including grain and non-grain crop material, includingparticles lighter than grain, such as chaff, dust and straw, aredischarged through perforations of concave 42. Threshing and separatingsystem 24 can also be a different type of system, such as a system witha transverse rotor rather than an axial rotor, etc.

Grain which has been separated by the threshing and separating assembly24 falls onto a grain pan 44 and is conveyed toward cleaning system 26.Cleaning system 26 may include an optional pre-cleaning sieve 46, anupper sieve 48 (also known as a chaffer sieve or sieve assembly), alower sieve 50 (also known as a cleaning sieve), and a cleaning fan 52.Grain on sieves 46, 48 and 50 is subjected to a cleaning action by fan52 which provides an air flow through the sieves to remove chaff andother impurities such as dust from the grain by making this materialairborne for discharge from straw hood 54 of the residue handling system70 of combine 10. Grain pan 44 and pre-cleaning sieve 46 oscillate in afore-to-aft manner to transport the grain and finer non-grain cropmaterial to the upper surface of upper sieve 48. Upper sieve 48 andlower sieve 50 are vertically arranged relative to each other, andlikewise oscillate in a fore-to-aft manner to spread the grain acrosssieves 48, 50, while permitting the passage of cleaned grain by gravitythrough the openings of sieves 48, 50.

Clean grain falls to a clean grain auger 56 positioned crosswise belowand toward the front of lower sieve 50. Clean grain auger 56 receivesclean grain from each sieve 48, 50 and from bottom pan 58 of cleaningsystem 26. Clean grain auger 56 conveys the clean grain laterally to agenerally vertically arranged grain elevator 60 for transport to graintank 28. Tailings from cleaning system 26 fall to a tailings augertrough 62. The tailings are transported via tailings auger 64 and returnauger 66 to the upstream end of cleaning system 26 for repeated cleaningaction. A pair of grain tank augers 68 at the bottom of grain tank 28convey the clean grain laterally within grain tank 28 to unloading auger30 for discharge from combine 10.

Now, additionally referring to FIGS. 2-4 there is shown a partial viewof threshing system 24, more particularly showing vane adjustment system78 coupled to a rotor cage 80 with vanes 82 positioned along an innersurface of cage 80 in banks 84 and 86 of vanes 82. A sliding member 88is pivotally coupled to one end of vanes 82 of bank 84, and slidingmember 90 is pivotally coupled to an end of vanes 82 of bank 86. An arm92 is pivotally coupled to cage 80 and is coupled to member 88 by way ofa linkage 94 and to member 90 by way of a linkage 96.

Vanes 82 of bank 84 are pivotally attached about axes 98 to rotor cage80 and vanes 82 of bank 86 are pivotally coupled to rotor cage 80 aboutaxes 100. Arm 92 is pivotally coupled to rotor cage 80 about an axis102. Vanes 82 of bank 84 are pivotally coupled to sliding member 88though slots 104 about an axes 106, which are arcuately shaped tocorrespond to a pivotal range of travel of vanes 82. In a like mannervanes 82 of bank 86 are pivotally coupled to sliding member 90 thoughslots 104 about axes 108, which are arcuately shaped to correspond to apivotal range of travel of vanes 82 of bank 86. Slots 144 and 146 arewhere vanes 82 pivot respectively about axes 98 and 100. As can be seenin FIG. 3 slots 144 and 146 are offset from each other as illustrated bythe alignment lines 144A and 146A that illustrate the generallongitudinal axis of the underlying vanes 82 approximately positioned ata midpoint of pivoting in slots 104. Some offset exists regardless ofthe pivotal position of vanes 82. This offset ensures that vanes 82 arealways shingled properly as crop material transitions off the trailingend of the vanes 82 in bank 86 and interacts with the leasing end ofvanes 82 of bank 84. Slots 144 and 146 are positioned in such a way thatthis shingling effect is present regardless of any vane position withincurved slots 104.

Members 88 and 90 each have a respective inner surface 110 and 112 thatremains tangent to an outer surface 114 of rotor cage 80 over the entirerange of movement of members 88 and 90. As arm 92 is pivoted the pivotalmovement of vanes 82 takes place in a coordinated manner with forcebeing transmitted from arm 92 to members 88 and 90 respectively bylinkages 94 and 96. The full range of movement of vanes 82 is subject toslots 104A, which are a modified version of slots 104. Slots 104 aregenerally oversize to allow space so that if any crop material gets intothe slots 104 that the full range of motion of vane adjustment system 78can still take place. However slots 104A are slightly shortened and havea reduced throat 104B feature that serves as a hard stop for the motionof adjustment system 78.

Axes 98, 100, 102, 106 and 108 are all substantially normal to surface114. Even axes 106 and 108 which move along the curved outer surface114, due to the shape and location of slots 104, remain normal tosurface 114 over their range of movement.

Now, additionally referring to FIG. 5 there is shown some furtherdetails about adjustment system 78. Here member 88 or 90 is omitted forthe sake of clarity with linkage 94 or 96 shown connected to arm 92 andoriented as if linkage 94/96 were coupled to member 88/90. Linkage 94/96has a longitudinal axis 116 that is parallel with a tangent of themovement of the point represented by axis 106 or 108, which is the pivotpoint between member 88/90 and vanes 82. Here this relationship isillustrated with longitudinal axis 116 intersecting an axis 106 at themidpoint of travel of axis 106/108 within slot 104.

Now, additionally referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a closer view ofone of vanes 82 with a cross-sectional view of cage 80 where vane 82 isshown spaced a distance 118 from cage 80 when crop material is notpressing against vane 82. Vane 82 has a flat portion 120 midway betweenaxis 98 and axis 106. Vane 82 can move distance 118 due to the spacingallowed by shoulder bushings 122 and 124. Although, the movement of vane82 is shown as influenced by gravity, it is also contemplated that abiasing feature could be used. The free movement of vane 82 in an axialdirection in and out relative to cage 80 allows for crop material todisengage from between vane 82 and cage 80. Distance 118 is a predefineddistance such as 4 mm.

The flat portion 120 of vane 82 is there to compensate for the change incurvature geometry between cage 80 and vanes 82, as vanes 82 are pivotedabout axes 98 and 100. Flat portion 120 allows a needed clearance whenmembers 88 and 90 are slid.

The present invention advantageously provides rotor cage 80 slot 104geometry that constrains vanes 82 to defined pivotal path. Slots 104provide a greater range of movement tan necessary to ensure that cropmaterial build up never limits the full range of motion. Slots 104A,which are one of the slots 104 in each bank 84 and 86 is notched at 104Bto provide a hard stop at either end of the desired range of motion.Adjustment arm 92 rotates or pivots about axis 102 providing an equaland opposite motion to vane banks 84 and 86. Axis 102 is perpendicularto rotor cage 80. The adjustment of vane banks 84 and 86 occurs on twoseparate planes which are moved along cage 80 by way of spherical rodends on linkages 94 and 96. Positioning of linkages 94 and 96 from arm92 to vane rails 88 and 90 is such that they are parallel to the motionof axes 106 and 108 in slots 104 at a center of slots 104 to therebygenerate an optimal use of the force available to adjust vanes 82. Anactuating system to move arm 92 has been purposely omitted for the sakeof clarity in the presentation of the present invention.

While this invention has been described with respect to at least oneembodiment, the present invention can be further modified within thespirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is thereforeintended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the inventionusing its general principles. Further, this application is intended tocover such departures from the present disclosure as come within knownor customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains andwhich fall within the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A threshing system for use in an agriculturalharvester, the threshing system comprising: a rotor cage with aplurality of slots therein, the rotor cage having an outer generallycylindrical surface; a plurality of banks of adjustable vanes pivotallycoupled to the rotor cage including a first bank of vanes and a secondbank of vanes; and an adjustable vane control system coupled to therotor cage, the adjustable vane control system including: a first memberpivotally coupled to each of the vanes in the first bank of vanesthrough corresponding ones of the slots; a second member pivotallycoupled to each of the vanes in the second bank of vanes throughcorresponding ones of the slots; a first linkage; a second linkage; andan arm having an end that is coupled to the first member by way of thefirst linkage, the arm having an opposite end that is coupled to thesecond member by way of the second linkage, the first member and thesecond member each having a range of travel defined by the slots, thefirst member and the second member each having a surface facing theouter surface of the rotor cage, the surface of the first member and thesurface of the second member each remaining tangent to the outer surfaceof the rotor cage as the first member and the second member are movedwithin their range of travel.
 2. The threshing system of claim 1,wherein the first linkage has a longitudinal axis that is arranged to besubstantially parallel to a tangent of the slots associated with thefirst bank of adjustable vanes when the first member is approximately ata midpoint in the range of travel.
 3. The threshing system of claim 2,wherein the second linkage has a longitudinal axis that is arranged tobe substantially parallel to a tangent of the slots associated with thesecond bank of adjustable vanes when the second member is approximatelyat a midpoint in the range of travel.
 4. The threshing system of claim3, wherein the first linkage and the second linkage are substantiallycoordinated so that the longitudinal axis of the first linkage isarranged to be substantially parallel to the tangent of the slotsassociated with the first bank of adjustable vanes and the longitudinalaxis of the second linkage is arranged to be substantially parallel tothe tangent of the slots associated with the second bank of adjustablevanes when the arm is at approximately a midpoint in a pivotal range ofmotion of the arm.
 5. The threshing system of claim 1, wherein a forcethat is applied to the first member by the first linkage and the forcethat is applied to the second member by the second linkage are parallelto the direction of vane travel when the first member and the secondmember are at a midpoint of their range of travel.
 6. The threshingsystem of claim 1, wherein the arm is arranged generally half waybetween the first member and the second member.
 7. The threshing systemof claim 6, wherein the arm has a pivot axis that is positionedsubstantially half way between the first member and the second memberand normal to the outer surface of the rotor cage.
 8. The threshingsystem of claim 7, wherein the arm is arranged to allow substantiallyequal and opposite movement of the first bank of vanes relative to thesecond bank of vanes.
 9. The threshing system of claim 1, wherein theslots are oversized in length to reduce crop pinching of the controlsystem.
 10. The threshing system of claim 9, wherein at least one slothas a notch that provides a hard stop to the movement of the banks ofvanes.
 11. The threshing system of claim 1, further comprising anotherplurality of slots in the rotor cage including a first set and a secondset of slots, the adjustable vanes of the first bank of vanes beingpivotally coupled to the rotor cage by way of the first set of slots,the adjustable vanes of the second bank of vanes being pivotally coupledto the rotor cage by way of the second set of slots, the first set ofslots and the second set of slots being offset from each other relativeto a flow of crop material thereby.
 12. An agricultural harvester,comprising: a chassis; and a threshing system carried by the chassis,the threshing system for separating grain from Material Other than Grain(MOG), the threshing system including: a rotor cage with a plurality ofslots therein, the rotor cage having an outer generally cylindricalsurface; a plurality of banks of adjustable vanes pivotally coupled tothe rotor cage including a first bank of vanes and a second bank ofvanes; and an adjustable vane control system coupled to the rotor cage,the adjustable vane control system including: a first member pivotallycoupled to each of the vanes in the first bank of vanes throughcorresponding ones of the slots; a second member pivotally coupled toeach of the vanes in the second bank of vanes through corresponding onesof the slots; a first linkage; a second linkage; and an arm having anend that is coupled to the first member by way of the first linkage, thearm having an opposite end that is coupled to the second member by wayof the second linkage, the first member and the second member eachhaving a range of travel defined by the slots, the first member and thesecond member each having a surface facing the outer surface of therotor cage, the surface of the first member and the surface of thesecond member each remaining tangent to the outer surface of the rotorcage as the first member and the second member are moved within theirrange of travel.
 13. The agricultural harvester of claim 12, wherein thefirst linkage has a longitudinal axis that is arranged to besubstantially parallel to a tangent of the slots associated with thefirst bank of adjustable vanes when the first member is approximately ata midpoint in the range of travel.
 14. The agricultural harvester ofclaim 13, wherein the second linkage has a longitudinal axis that isarranged to be substantially parallel to a tangent of the slotsassociated with the second bank of adjustable vanes when the secondmember is approximately at a midpoint in the range of travel.
 15. Theagricultural harvester of claim 14, wherein the first linkage and thesecond linkage are substantially coordinated so that the longitudinalaxis of the first linkage is arranged to be substantially parallel tothe tangent of the slots associated with the first bank of adjustablevanes and the longitudinal axis of the second linkage is arranged to besubstantially parallel to the tangent of the slots associated with thesecond bank of adjustable vanes when the arm is at approximately amidpoint in a pivotal range of motion of the arm.
 16. The agriculturalharvester of claim 12, wherein a force that is applied to the firstmember by the first linkage and the force that is applied to the secondmember by the second linkage are parallel to the direction of vanetravel when the first member and the second member are at a midpoint oftheir range of travel.
 17. The agricultural harvester of claim 12,wherein the arm is arranged generally half way between the first memberand the second member.
 18. The agricultural harvester of claim 17,wherein the arm has a pivot axis that is positioned substantially halfway between the first member and the second member and normal to theouter surface of the rotor cage.
 19. The agricultural harvester of claim18, wherein the arm is arranged to allow substantially equal andopposite movement of the first bank of vanes relative to the second bankof vanes.
 20. The agricultural harvester of claim 11, wherein the slotsare oversized in length to reduce crop pinching of the control system,and at least one slot has a notch that provides a hard stop to themovement of the banks of vanes.